The marker will be placed at Rocking Horse Community Health Center, across from the most recent Brooks Lawrence marker that was placed in November 2025, and will be a part of a special America 250 celebration from the Ohio History Connection, according to Marshall.
“The mission of the Rocking Horse is perfectly aligned with the life and legacy of Dr. Burton. With their commitment to provide health services to people in need, this southside location was a no-brainer,” he said.
Burton was born into slavery in Kentucky on May 4, 1860, the youngest of 15 children and orphaned at age nine, according to research conducted by Marshall.
He attended Kentucky’s Berea College and graduated from the Indianapolis Eclectic College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1892. He then moved to Springfield and opened a medical practice on East Main Street, and established the first Black-owned drug store and shoe store in 1894.
Burton also served as the Ohio National Guard’s Assistant Surgeon during the Spanish-American War, operated a newspaper called The Loyal Legion of Honor, established the Ohio Mutual Medical Association (Ohio’s first Black medical society), and operated medical offices in Springfield, Xenia and Dayton.
He died in his home at 336 W. Clark St. on March 23, 1939, and is buried in Ferncliff Cemetery.
“Very few people embody the essence of America 250 and Ohio Originals as does Dr. Thomas W. Burton,” Marshall said in his marker application and statement of significance.
Ohio’s celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. this year, in which one of the themes identified for the programming includes “Ohio Originals: Highlighting points of pride and unity.”
As part of the Ohio Historical Marker application, the Ohio History Connection put out a special call for America 250 for “Ohio Originals.” Marshall said applications had to justify their importance and alignment with America 250, and the marker will display an America 250 badge.
The Clark County Public Library and Clark County Historical Society also supported this marker with archival research, Marshall said. Both organizations have helped with research since the beginning, pulling newspaper articles and additional materials or documentation for the application.
The marker is currently in the production queue, in hopes to be dedicated in the spring or summer.
“This archival research process is truly grueling hours, and it has been done with limited funding. Each marker, from the start of the research process through dedication, takes approximately 150 hours,” Marshall said.
Once Burton’s marker is in place, Marshall said he will have unveiled a quarter of all the markers in Clark County, including for Lawrence and lawyer and activist Sully Jaymes, which he said is humbling.
“However, I am far from done as we still have many more legacies to uplift and untold stories to share across Ohio and beyond,” he said, explaining he’s already working on his next application for jazz drummer Johnny Lytle that, if approved, would be unveiled sometime in 2027.
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